New Delhi Steers Drivers To Park Cars So Residents Can Breathe Easier

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, center, takes part in a cycle rally during a car-free day that covered a 4-mile stretch in New Delhi, India, on Thursday.

Tsering Topgyal
/ AP

Originally published on March 28, 2016 3:20 pm

New Delhi officials urged drivers to park their cars and use public transportation Thursday, in a new effort to combat air pollution.

A major road closed for five hours and residents were encouraged to take public transportation, the Associated Press reported.

Arvind Kejriwal, chief minister of the state of Delhi, and his cabinet colleagues, led cyclists along the four-mile-long route, on the first of what will be a series of days aimed at cleaning the city's air.

Kejriwal told AP:

"All of us have to do our bit to decongest the roads and to reduce pollution. People should leave their cars and start using public transport and bicycles."

According to CNN, free rickshaw rides were offered, as those three-wheeled vehicles run on compressed natural gas rather than diesel or gasoline.